Propeller, fan, and exhauster



e 1936- s. CEGLOWSKI PROPELLER, FAN, ANDEXHAUSTER Filed July 11, 1955 2 sheets-shay 1 Feb. 11, 1936. acaeLowsKl 2,030,622

,PROPELLER, FAN, AND EXHAUSTER Filed July 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet z STANLEY UEGLOW-Shl I Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROPELLER, FAN, AND EXHAUSTER Stanley Ceglow'ski, Hillside, N. J

Application July 11, 1935, Serial No. 30,897

14 Claims.

improvements in propellers for the propulsion of airplanes, Water craft and other vehicles, ventilating fans, andexhaust fans. It has for an object to provide a mechanism of the character stated in which provision is made to obtain the greatest efiiciency possible.

vFurther, it is an object to provide. a structure of the character stated in which a gang of propeller units mounted on a shaft cooperate with intermediate converter units for. passing the whirling air of one propeller unit, in a direction parallel to the' axis of rotation, to the next propeller unit and so on, whereby each propeller unit acts with its maximum efliciency so that the result produced will be the accumulated functions of thegang of propeller units, each unit adding its maximum effort to that of the others.

A further object is to associate with the gang of propeller units, a combined air-turbine-propeller (or a plurality of these with interposed converter units) so as to add to the effectiveness of the gang of propeller units.

Further, it is 'an object to provide a mecha- 'nism of the character specified which will retain the advantages of variable pitch blade propellers while still using propeller blades of fixed pitches; this is accomplished by employing propeller units, in the gang, of progressively different pitches, varying from, say, 75 degrees to the plane of rotation for the'first unit, and gradually making the pitch more acute in successive units.

Further, it is an object to provide a mechanism of the character stated in which the several propeller units and the converter units are assembled in a tunnel in such a way that each propeller unit 7 blades being shown for clearness of illustration) is enabled to add its effect with full efiiciency to the column of air passed through the tunnel so that the total result produced is that of the full equivalent of the sum of each propeller unit's action atits maximum efiiciency, something that cannot be accomplished by merely duplicating propeller units in a tunnel-way. I

7 Further, the invention has for its objects to provide certain improvements in the mechanical construction of the various units and parts comprising the entire assembly, including improve-.

ments in the propeller units themselves and in the air-turbine-propeller units; to provide new and useful converter units associated with the propeller units; to provideimprovements in the manner of mounting the shaft and the rotative parts carried thereby in the casing, and, fur- I (Cl. 230-116) My invention relates to certain new and useful ther, for mounting the casing parts together on a suitable base or support.

Further, it is an object to provide an apparatus or mechanism of the character stated which may be used as a buffer (pushing) propeller, or

as a suction (pulling) propeller, for moving vehicles, or used as a stationary fan for ventilating rooms and buildings, or employed as an exhauster fan, as may be desired.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fullydescribed in the following detailed description and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

"Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention in its complete form.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, looking in the direction of the arrow :1: in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross section on line 55 of Fig-' ure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross section on line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a converter'hub with two blades in place thereon.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view showing how a converter blade is attached to its ring.

Figure 9 is a detail side elevation of one of the fans of an air-turbine-propeller unit (only three and also a detail side elevation of the driving fan of an air-turbine-propeller unitlonly three blades being shown for clearness of illustration), the two fans being separated.

Figure 10 is a detail side elevation of the two fans shown in Figure 9, assembled.

In the drawings, inwhich like numerals indi- O cate like parts in all the figures, I0 represents the lower half of a cylindrical tunnel, while 16 indicates the upper half thereof.. The lower half I0 is provided with inverted U-shaped or channellike flanges II which rest on pillars or posts l2 that are provided with passages for the threaded rods of the channeled clamps I 4. These clamps embrace the annular channeled portions ll of the tunnel and cooperate with nuts Hi to fasten the two parts l0 and I6 of the tunnel together to the support l2-l2.

Within the tunnel, ill and I6, is located. the principal propelling mechanism which comprises agang of propeller units and intermediate converter units. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, three propeller units 6, I and 8, and two converter units are employed. Each propeller unit includes a hub H3. The hub is mounted on and turns with the power shaft 9, and' has a set of blades (three being shown) I 9, whose front and rear edges 2!] lie parallel to the plane or direction of rotation.

The propeller units are preferably of progressively decreasing width-in side elevation, from the largest at the front or entrant end of the tunnel to the smallest at the rear or exit end there-. of. Further, in order to obtain the advantages of a variable pitch propeller, the blades IQ of the several propeller units vary in pitch progressively', that of the front propeller unit being, for instance, '75 degrees to the plane of rotation, that of the intermediate unit being at '70 degrees and that of the rear unit being at degrees (as indicated at Figure 3).

The converter unit may have a hub 3 (in which is located an anti-friction bearing II for the shaft 9). It is composed principally of a rim 2 and blades 4, the blades having curved edges 5 at the rear and having portions 6 at their ends, which portions are secured to the rim 2 in any suitable way, as for example by rivets 3|.

The blades 4, hub 3, etc., are preferably formed integrally out of a disc by die-stamping, or other suitable process.

The openings between the adjacent blades 4 are restricted near the center by webs 4.1: so that the central portion of the converter unit, which lies directly in front of the central open portion of the propeller, will present an unbroken wall, in virtue of which construction the creation of a whirlwind is prevented.

The parts numbered I to 20, inclusive, and 3|, comprise a primary propeller, fan or exhauster assembly with which (for airplane propulsion, especially) is combined a second unit consisting of an air-turbine-propeller, composed of a driving fan and a driven fan, the latter having a hub Zll and blades 22, while the former includes a hub 23 and blades 24. The front or leading edges of the blades are curved as at 25. The fan 23-24-25 is of a diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the tunnel l0 and I6, and in part projects into the outlet of said tunnel (see Figure 3) the fan 2l'-22 is of greater diameter than that of the outside of the tunnel (l0 and I6), and takes air from around the outside of the tunnel, as well as air from inside the tunnel.

The driven fan (2l-22) 'and the driving fan (23-24-25) are secured together by rivets 32, or in any other suitable way, so as to turn as one, and their hubs 2| and 23 carry radial and thrust bearings 26 by means of which, the unit (2 I-25) rotates freely on the shaft 9. A collar 21 is fixed to the shaft to take. up the axial thrusts of the fan.

If desired, a second air-turbine-propeller unit may be similarly mounted on the shaft 9, in which event an auxiliary tunnel 33 is provided to encircle the units, and a converter is provided between the two units (see Figure 3). The tunnel 33 may be mounted on the tunnel l0 and [6, by a collar, as at 34. The converter used between the air-turbine-propeller units consists of an outer ring 28 and an inner ring 29 with inclined (non-radial) blades 30, so designed as to direct the air from the larger fan 22 of the first unit (2l-25) toward the second unit in a direction forwardly and toward the shaft 2 whereby some air is drawn into the supplemental tunnel33 by l the first fan (2l-22) of the first auxiliary unit and used, in addition to the air-stream from the primary unit in tunnel, I0 and IE, to turn the second unit (2l-22). The air impelled by the two fans (21-22) unites with the air-stream from 10 the tunnel, I0 and I6, and is discharged from the tunnel 33 in a direction approximately parallel with the direction of the axis of the shaft 9.

By the construction described it will be seen that none of the air passing the various pro- 15 peller units is thrown off by any one of them in a radial direction, but the air is caused to pass through the tunnels, I0 and I6, and 33, in a condensed column and discharged from the tunnel 33 in a direction parallel to the line of flight (when 20 the mechanism is used, for example, as an airplane propeller).

Rotating propellers in the open causes them to lose their efliciency, due to the air thrown off radially; with agang of ordinary propellers ro- 25 tating in a tunnel without converters in between them the air stream will rotate about the axis of the propeller shaft; caused by the centrifugal force and a vortex will be produced adjacent the shaft, while a considerable pressure against the tunnel wall will induce considerable air friction and impede the flow of the air through the tunnel from the entrance to the exit thereof. These objectionable features are not present in any marked degree in the construction herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

It is also to be observed that when the auxiliary unit 2l-25 (enclosed in tunnel 33) is used the last propeller unit l8-l 9 discharges the high- 49 ly compressed air with cyclonic velocity against the turbine-fan or wheel (23-25). turning the free unit (2l-25) which then draws air from around the outside of the tunnel l0 and IS; the

air-turbine-propeller acts as a floating bufier from 4 the air-stream tunnel l0 and I6, and the forces acting on the same will all be utilized to do work in the proper way to attain the highest efficiency. With my invention, the faster the airplane moves the more air goes into the tunnel, which 50 causes the apparatus to work with high pressure and increases the speed of the turbine propeller.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is though that the complete construction, operation 55 and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

What I claim is: 1. In a'mechanism of the character described, a tunnel, a rotatable shaft passing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, certain of said converters having bearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like blades restricted near the center by webs forming an unbroken wall, said blades being shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis.

2. In a mechanism of the character described,

a tunnel, a rotatable shaft passing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, said pro- 75 pellers varying in pitch from one end of the tunnel toward the other progressively, a set of converters located in said timnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, certain of said converters having hearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like blades restricted near the center by webs forming an unbroken wall, said blades being shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a tunnel, a rotatable shaft posing into said timnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, said pro pellers varying in pitch and size from one end of V the tunnel toward the other progressively, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters converters located in said tunnel between adja cent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having bearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like blades shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis, and an nir-turbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent the outletendofsaidtimnel.

5. in a mechanism of the character described,

cal-r a rotatable shaft passing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart. said propellers in pitch from one end of the tunnel toward the other progresively, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having hearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like'bladesshaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis anddlschargethesameparalleltotheaxisand an air-turbinepropeller unit rotatably molmted on mid shaft adjacent the outlet end of said tunnel.

6. Ina mechanismofthecharacterdescribed, atunneharotatableshaftpaadngintomid tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaitwithinsaidtunneiandspacedapartaset oi converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having bearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters we including fan-like blades shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to theaxis, said air-turbine-propeller unit comprising two fans, one of a diameter to conform to the inside diameterofsaidtunnelandtheotherofagreater diameter than the outside of said trmnel.

7. Inamechanismofthecharacter described, a tunnel, a rotatable shaft passing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, said propeliersvaryinginmtchfromoneendofthetunnel toward the other progressively, a set of converters located in said trmnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having bearings in which said shaft is joumaled, said converters each in- 5 eluding fan-like blades shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis, and an airturbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent the outlet end of said timnel, said air-turbine-propeller unit comprising two fans, one of a diameter to conform to the inside diameter of said tlmnel and the other of a greater diameter than the outside of said tunnel.

8. In a mechanism of the character described, a trmnel, a rotatable shaftpassing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters 2 stationary. said converters having bearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like blades shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis, an air-turbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent the outlet end of said tunnel, said air-turbine-propeller unit comprising two fans, one of a diameter to conform to the inside diameter of said timnel and the other of a greater diameter than the outside of said tunnel and a second air-turbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft and spam from the first air-turbine-propeller unit, an airmliary tunnel embracing said air-turbine-propelier units and a converter in said auxiliary tunnel between said air-turbine-propeller units to receive aum'liary air from the first air-turbine propeller unit and direct the same toward the center of the second air-hirbine-promller unit. (m 9. In a mechanism of the character described, a? tunnel, a rotatable shaft s into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said'tunnel and spaced apart, said propellers varying in" pitcli'from one end of the tunnel toward the other progressively, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having bearings in which said shaft is journaled, said converters each inm eluding fan-like blades shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the and dischargethesameparalieltotheaxis,andanairturbine-propeller unit rotatably moimted on said shaft adjacent the outlet end of said tunnel, said air-turbine-propeller unit comprising two fans, one of a diameter to conform to the inside diameterofsaidiumnelandtheotherofagreaterdiameter than the outside of said tunnel, and a sec ond air-tm-bine-propeller unit rotatably mounted so onsaidshaftandspacedfromtheiirstair-turbine-propeller unit, an auxiliary tunnel embracing said alr-turbine-propeller units and a converter in said tunnel between said-airturbine-propeller uniis to receive auxiliary air from the first air-turbine-propeller unit and direct thesame toward the center of the second airturbine-propeller unit.

l0. Inamechanismofthecharacterdescrlbed,

a tunnel, a rotatable shaft passing into said tun- 10 nel,agangofpropellersmountedonsaidshaft within said tlmnel and spaced apart, a set ofcon- 'verterslocatedinsaidtrmnelbetweenadjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters having hearings in which 78 said shaft is journaled, said converters each including fan-like blades restricted near the center by webs forming an unbroken wall, said blades being shaped to receive air from said propellers diagonally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis, said tunnel comprising two half members, a support for the same, said tunnel having grooved annular portions to receive said converters and channeledstraps passed over said annular portions and secured to said support for purposes specified.

11. In a mechanism of the character described, a tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted to rotate in unison in said tunnel, means by which said propellers are rotated in unison, said propellers being spaced apart, a set of stationary converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters each including 'fan-like blades restricted near the center by webs forming an unbroken wall, said blades being shaped to receive air from a preceding propeller and direct the same approximately paralled to the axis of rotation of the propellers to the next succeeding propeller, substantially as shown and described.

12. In a mechanism of the character described,

" a tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted to rotate described, an air-turbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent the outlet end of said tunnel, said air-turbine-pi'opel'ler unit including a driving fan and a driven fan secured together as one, the driving fan being driven by the air leaving the interior of the tunnel and the driven fan being of greater diameter than the driving fan to impel an auxiliary air stream.

13. In a mechanism of the character described, a tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted to rotate in unison in said tunnel, means by which said propellers are rotated in unison, said propellers being spaced apart, a set of stationary converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters each including fan-like blades shaped to receive air from a preceding propeller and direct the same approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the propellers to the next succeeding propeller, an air-turbine-propeller unit rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent the outlet end of said tunnel, said air-turbinepropeller unit including a driving fan and a driven fan secured together as one, the driving fan being actuated by the air leaving the interior of the tunnel and the driven fan being of greater diameter than the driving fan to impel an auxiliary air stream.

14. In a mechanism f the character described, a tunnel, a rotatable shaft passing into said tunnel, a gang of propellers mounted on said shaft within said tunnel and spaced apart, a set of converters located in said tunnel between adjacent propellers, means to hold said converters stationary, said converters each including fanlike blades restricted near the center by webs forming an unbroken wall, said blades being shaped to receive air from said propellers diagnally to the axis and discharge the same parallel to the axis.

STANLEY CEGLOWSKI. 

